My Kirbaby is getting spayed tomorrow

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pocketsizedrhino

pocketsizedrhino

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I've been through two rat neuters before but I know this will be a little different.
Kirby is now 7 months old and she has decided to stop using her litter box. I figure this change in behavior was telling me "spay me now!" so I am obliging.

My vet typically uses staples but I am able to request internal stitches/glue. She seems to think that combo comes undone and really prefers the staples but I've read and told her that rabbits have very sensitive thin belly skin. What should I request? The problem is if it comes undone--my vet is a 40 minute drive away and I am taking finals at school next week so I can't just skip class to run to the vet. Finals are only taking up a small amount of my time though and my boyfriend might be around to help. It is just something that I need to consider.

I have some metacam that is almost a year old from a rat neuter. Is it still good to use or should I buy a new bottle. OR is there another preferred pain med for rabbits? How long should she be on them?

Should I restrict her movement by making her pen smaller temporarily? I feel like I should block off her shelf at least and cover the whole floor. I usually cover half but the uncovered bit is linoleum so it is a little slippery.

Lastly, should she be on preventative antibiotics? I know this is a debatable topic but if it could help I would rather do it. I am not going to worry too much about building up a resistance, I am concerned with the present and the likely hood of her getting an infection.

Soo...
1.) staples or internal stitches/glue
2.) metacam/other pain med? how long?
3.) preventative abs?
4.) restrict housing? how long?
 
We usually recommend internal dissolving stitches and outside glue. Easier, and you don't have to get them removed. I think rabbit skin is a bit too delicate for staples. I've only had one neuter (all others were done at the shelter), and they did it this way, plus I'm pretty sure that's how our shelter does it.

Meloxicam/metacam is safe to use up to 6 mo after it's made, so 1yr old is too long. We usually like bunnies that have been spayed to get a narcotic pain med, at least for the day immediately after surgery, like buprenex or tramadol. Tramadol doesn't usually make them as "loopy" as buprenex. Metacam should be given for at least 4 days post-spay.

I would restrict her movement for sure--don't let her run or jump for a few days. Something less slippery would be good too so she doesn't crash around.

Preventative antibiotics are usually not encouraged, but some people think they're needed. I wouldn't do it, unless your vet really suggests it. Infections following a spay can be bad, but they're pretty rare. If you do give an antibiotic, couple it with a probiotic to keep her GI flora happy--something like Bene-Bac or Probios.
 
Thank you for your reply!

Can buprenex or tramadol be done by injection after the surgery to last until the metacam is needed or should I get a bottle along with the metacam?

I'm taking my boyfriend's cat in at the same time... It would be great if they can use the same pain meds. I need to get to researching.
 
I would get the internal sutures and skin glue. I have had that for all the spays and neuters that I have had done (both bunnies and dogs) without any issues. Lilli had staples for her spay and they got a bit infected plus I had to find a vet to remove them (she was spayed at a vet I don't use that is at least 1 hour from me, and my regular vet doesn't use staples). Once they were out, she healed fine. If you keep her from moving a lot and jumping up, you should not have issues.

Definitely block off the shelf in her cage. Covering the whole bottom is a good idea. Depending on what litter you use, you might want to cover it or use something else while she heals. You don't want anything to get into the incision or irritate it. I would keep her restricted for at least a week, then give her a bit more space (like a run), but keep the shelf blocked off for 2 weeks.

This is just me, but I am not sure I would use that vet. If you have to explain about how thin a rabbits skin is, they probably don't know a ton about them. I thought that internal sutures were fairly common for spays, so I don't see what a vet would use staples if not absolutely necessary. You might want to ask them what anaesthetic they use and if they fast the rabbits before and after surgery. Also ask how many they do in a week and the survival rate. I would hate for something to happen to Kirby because the vet doesn't know about rabbits.
 
Thank you all for the advice and kind words. She was dropped off this morning along with my boyfriend's cat.
The last update was that Asha (the cat) was all finished.
I'm supposed to call around 2pm to see if they are awake and ready for pick up.
 
Kirby is still not feeling so well. Its heartbreaking to see her just sit in a little stiff lump in the corner! :( She is on pain meds and she did not want to eat last night. She might have snuck a little hay but I'm not positive. This afternoon I sat with her and pet her and she finally accepted her mini salad and ate some green leaf lettuce, parsley, and some celery leaves. She has peed and pooped so that's a good sign! She still has not touched her pellets which she usually wolfs down so I'll be happier when I see her do that. She has definitely perked up today and I think I'll sit with her for a little bit while I work on my German essay because she seemed to like that.

My boyfriend's cat is up and about like nothing even happened. And she has a ravenous appetite!
 
Aww poor girl...she'll be ok once she fully recovers..i just hated putting my bunnies through that and thank goodnes i don't have to go through that anymore...not for a very long time anyway...i felt very bad for them...but i noticed some dealt with it better than the others.

I'm glad to hear that she has eaten something though..i know what a relief it is when they start to nibble on their food again.

I remember another time when my Daisy who is no longer with me anymore had to have major surgery to remove her hip joint...oh gosh she had an awful first few days.

Anyway,i'm also glad your boyfriends cat is doing so well...that's good to hear.
 
Kirby is livelier today. Her poops this morning were a little off and I'm hoping that gets sorted out soon. It looks like she is leaving a lot of cecals behind and one bunch of them was either stomped to mush or it came out a bit soft. She has had normal poops since but not much. I took a picture if anyone wants to analyze. ;)

Last night when I changed her blanky she got a little hyper and hopped around and did some cute head shakes. :p

She ate more veggies this morning. I bought some watercress and dill yesterday to taunt her with more variety.
She is eating pellets today! :yes:
 
Just to update on Kirby,
She was doing great yesterday and was much more active. I am still keeping her in a 2x2 NIC to limit her movements.
She is causing quite a ruckus this morning and shaking her pen walls by biting at them, hahaha. I think she is getting a little cramped feeling now that she feels like moving. Her food dish was empty this morning and she is very interested in hay again. Yay!
Tonight after work I may extend the pen to 2x3 for her sake.
 
Kirby says thanks for the advice and for caring!
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:)
 
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